Edmund lynn shapley



(No Model.) u 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. E. L. SHAPLEY.

SKIRT ELBVATOR.

No. 428,964. Patented May l27, 1890.

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(No Model.) 2 Shets-Sheet 2. E. L. SHAPLBY.

SKIRT BLEVATOR.

\ Patented May 27, 1.890.

rus ohms Penas UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. A'

EDMUND LYNN SHAPLEY, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO HENRY MANNING KNIGHT, OF SAME PLACE.

SKIRT-EL-EVATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 428,964, dated May v2'7, 1890. Application filed March 31, 1890. Serial No. 345,939. (No model.) Patented in England August 2, 1889, No. 12,311.

T0 @ZZ whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, EDMUND LYNN SHAP- LEY, manufacturer, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Cheapside, in the city of London, England, have invented certain 'new and useful Improvements in Dress-Holders or Dress-Suspenders, (for which I have obtained a patent in Great Britain, No. 12,311, bearing dat-e August 2, 1889,) of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention refers to appliances, as hereinafter described, whereby the skirts of ladies dresses can be raised or lowered from the upper part thereof, when required, with greater facility than heretofore. In the Waistband of the dress there are eyelet-holcs through which cords are rove, leading and attached to the upper back portion of the skirt. These cords pass through sleeves or casings of fabric attached at their upper ends to the waistband, and consequently these sleeves or casings contract in length as the cords are drawn through the eyelet holes or apertures, while at the same time the dress-skirt is raised, and friction by the cord on the dress or dress-lining is obviated.

The invention will be best understood by further describing same with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my invention applied to the waistband of a dress with the cords in their normal position and where the dress-band fastens at the back. Fig. 2 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the cords in the position they assume when the dress is raised.

`Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a dress-skirt,

showing my invention applied thereto. Fig. 4 is a perspective diagram view, especially showing the invention where the band opens and fastens at the side.A Fig. 5 shows a costume with the dress in the normal position, and Fig. 6 shows the same costume with the dress skirt as raised by appliances constructed according to my invention. Figs. 3,

4, 5, and 6 are drawn on a smaller scale than Figs. 1 and 2.

Similar letters of reference refer to like parts in all the figures.

A is the dress-band, and B B are the eyelet holes or apertures therein.

C C are the cords proper, each of which is doubled, as shown, and threadedthrough the eyelet-holes B.

At the bend of each of the cords C there are hooks D or rings, or something to take hold of. Vhen hooks are employed, they may conveniently be hooked, when not in use, int'o an eyelet-hole in the band, as shown. The ends of, each of the cords C pass through the eyelet-holes B at the back of the band and downward, each separate end of the cord C passing through fabric sleeves E E, the upper ends of such sleeves being sewed onto the waistband A, while the lower ends of the sleeves E, together with the cords C, are secured to clips or plates F, the latter being sewed to the skirt, and the sleeves E may also be sewed to the dress or lining, whereby they are attached to the dress-skirt.

Instead of the hooks D, there may be studs on the waistband, to which the cords may be looped or secured.

To raise the skirt of the dress when the cords are in the position shown at Figs. 1, 4, and 5, all that is necessary to do is to unhook the hooks D and pull each of the cords C, thereby causing them to travel through the eyelets B and to contract or draw up together the fabric sleeves E into the position shown at Fig. 2, when the cords are secured by tying the ends. or by hooking the hooks into the eyelets or over the studs, or in any other convenient way. This done, the skirt of the dress is raised from the ground into the position shown at Fig. 6, not being looped up from the bottom of the skirt, but lifted from the top without disarranging the symmetry of thc dress. The dress is lowered and permitted to assume its normal position by simply undoing or detaching the fastenin gs of the cords.

I daim-- from the upper part of the said skirt, as set 1o In dress-holders or dress-Suspenders, the forth. combination, with :L dress-skirt having a EDMUND LYNN SHAPLEY waistband A and eyeleted holes B, of cords C C and fabric sleeves E, Jhe said cords C VVtnesses:

being threaded through the eyeleted holes W. JfNORWOOD, B, the cord ends depending at the back pass- T. F. BARNES, ing through sleeves E and fixed to the skirt Both of No. 17 Gf/acechwch Street, London, of the dress, whereby the latter may be raised N oafrzfes Clerks. 

